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An evening with Elizabeth Gilbert

The Brisbane Writer’s Festival kicked off their first big event for 2016 with the delightful Liz Gilbert of Eat, Pray, Love fame. She was there promoting her latest book Big Magic and it was interesting to hear her talk about giving yourself permission to live a creative life and how to overcome fear amongst other things. The phenomenon that was Eat Pray Love was not lost on me, I had read it the same year that the Democrats were ousted from parliament. Its message about going in search for your true self-resonated with me as I had lost my job, and with it went who I thought I was.

But Big Magic is a different book altogether, it is almost like a self-help book which I don’t usually read, but there is just something about the way Liz Gilbert writes that makes it feel like she’s talking to a friend. In a time where my life is undergoing a major paradigm shift, I found this book reassuring, like that little voice whispering in my ear to keep going, that I am on the right track. There is a brilliant TedX talk she did on finding that elusive creative genius here: https://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius?language=en which seems to be the wells that Big Magic sprang from.

As a first time writer trying to get a book published, it is a nerve-wracking business putting yourself out there time and time again. But in keeping with the theme of the book, I know that I need to do this. I like the fact that she says that fear is healthy. And that we can invite it along on our creative journey because it will come anyway. But that we shouldn’t let it drive or choose the snacks or even sit in the front passenger seat.